Compression

Director - Jakob Bilinski (Volumes of Blood, Bloody Hooker Bang Bang: A Love Story)

Starring - Emily Durchholz (Real Cool Time, Gayliens), Kevin Roach (The Confession of Fred Krueger, The Bad Man), and Michele Rose (Dark Nights, Grown Men on Tricycles)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I get a lot of different horror titles from various sub-genres in for review. While I personally find the slashers, zombies, and vampires to be more entertaining, I'm still open minded to other sub-genres. Each sub-genre offers up solid offerings if you are open to experience them. However, some sub-genres are a little too clever for my liking. I'm a simple man and the more complexed films are difficult for me to enjoy. A few weeks back I was sent over the psychological thriller/horror film Compression from filmmaker Jakob Bilinski. I wasn't able to check it out in a timely manner due to my work schedule, home life, and other movies sent over to review before I agreed to review this one. However, I decided to work it in to my schedule now after I watched a no budget martial arts film. I want to thank Jakob for sending this one over for review! 

      The film follows a successful true crime podcaster who is struggling with demons of her own and who decides to try a recreational drug for the first time. Things start out innocently enough but as the high starts to peak she begins to revisit some of her past traumas forcing her to face them once again. 

      I knew absolutely nothing about Compression prior to watching it. The image sent along with the screener link didn't give me any insight into the film, so this was a true blind watch. With that being said, the movie wasn't really for me. I loved the look of the film, and the cast is fantastic, but the story just wasn't working for me. That doesn't mean it's a bad film, but it does mean that some films are just a little complicated for me to enjoy. The acting in this one is great. The cast is rather small, and everyone carries their own weight throughout. The characters are very well written with a lot of personality that the cast does a great job at bringing to life. The story for this one is very interesting but is stretched too thin with not enough going on to hold the viewer's attention. An agoraphobe who hosts a true crime podcast is an interesting character choice that I was very interested in. However, the film's pacing is its biggest problem. One scene was a 15 minute or so phone conversation while another is 20 minutes of the lead acting out her trip. A lot of the film could be trimmed down to help with the flow. Also, the film does become a bit confusing as the trip fulling manifests. Finally, the film has beautiful cinematography and lighting with some blood but don't expect a body count. This thriller relies heavily on story instead of the blood and guts that most horror fans crave. Overall, Compression is not a bad flick but it's not for me. It's a beautifully shot psychological film with a great cast but the story just didn't work for me. Fans of thrillers may be interested in it but most horror fans may not appreciate it like it deserves to be appreciated.